


Ding Dong, Merrily on High

by clgfanfic



Series: Shadow Chasers/X-Files - Little St. Nick [7]
Category: Shadow Chasers
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-03
Updated: 2012-11-03
Packaged: 2017-11-17 15:27:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/553078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yes, it's that time of year - again!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ding Dong, Merrily on High

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine The Yule Tide #3 under the pen name J.P. Cads.

Edgar Benedek sauntered into the cluttered office of Dr. Jonathan MacKenzie, George Washington University anthropology professor.  On first glance he thought the large, cream-colored office was empty, but an odd shuffling and scratching noise coming from under a bulky oak table pressed up against the wall at the back of the room and loaded down with stacks of books, file folders, and an occasional stray bone fragment drew his attention.  Benny moved closer.

A raised hindend wagged from under the table along with a steady stream of mumbling.

With a grin the journalist called, "Hey, John-Boy!"

Dr. Jonathan MacKenzies' head immediately jerked up, impacting with a sound "thump" on the bottom of table.  "Ouch!" he yelped.

"Hey, hey, careful, Jack," Benny said, squatting down to peer under the table. "What're lookin' for anyway?" he asked, noting that the carpet under the table was a pleasant brick red, a great improvement over the orangish-brown found in the rest of the room.

The lanky anthropologist glowered at the meddling journalist.  "If you must know, I'm looking for my invitation," he explained, reaching for an envelope lying next to Benedek's green tennis shoe.

Benny reached for the paper at the same time, the two men smacking their heads together.

"Ow!" Jon squeaked, scrambling back out from under the table and standing.

Benny chuckled, rubbed his forehead, then grabbed the envelope and stood.

While Jon rubbed gingerly at his head Benny opened the flap and pulled out an invitation, reading it before the anthropologist could snatch it away.  "Moorhouse is throwing a Christmas party?"

"Yes," Jon snapped, finally managing to grab the paper out of Benny's hands. "And _I'm_ invited."

"I kinda guessed," the journalist grinned.  His expression quickly turned serious.  "But you know you're going to have to turn her down, right?"

Jon's eyes widened.  "Turn her down?"  He waved the paper under Benedek's nose.  "I will not!  Do you realize what this is?  It's not _just_ a Christmas party, Benedek.  It's a gathering of some of the most renowned physical anthropologists on the East Coast.  Leading scholars from seven countries all in the same room, eating, drinking, talking about their theories—"

"Bor-ing!  Boring with a capital B, Johnny."

MacKenzies' eyes widened, then narrowed.  "For an academic midget such as yourself, perhaps, but—"

"Oh, you wound me, Jack," Benny said, one hand coming up to clutch dramatically at the front of his modern-art reprint shirt.

"I _am_ going to this party, Benedek, and I'm going to enjoy myself.  End of discussion.  Goodbye."

"And miss this year's Santa party?"

Jon rolled his eyes, then walked back to his equally cluttered desk, leaning back against it, his arms folded resolutely across his chest.  He shook his head.  "No.  No.  Absolutely not.  Not after last year."

Benny crossed to join him.  "Ah, come on, Jack, you had a great time!"

Jon shook his head.  "Do you know how long it took for those reindeer bites to heal?"

"Love nibbles, John-boy."

"And that elf who borrowed my jacket?  I've never gotten that stain out.  I don't even know what it is!"

"Stain-schmain, we're talking about spending Christmas Eve with the Big Guy!  And you have to admit, Mrs. C sets a great table!"

MacKenzies sighed heavily.  "Yes.  Yes, she does.  But you don't understand, these men are—"

"And don't forget," Benny interrupted, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.  "A certain lady FBI agent'll be there…"

Jon opened his mouth to force his point, but closed it, his gaze turning dreamy and far away.  "Dana…?" he sighed.

"Yep, I talked to Foxy this morning and he said they'd both be there.  Guaranteed."

"Where?"

"At the _best_ party of the year, Jack.  Where else?  Just like me and—"

"No, _where_ is it this year?"

Benny's face lit up.  "So you _are_ thinking about going!"

"I am not, I just want to—"

"New England," Benny interrupted.  "Complete with snow a'falling, chestnuts a'roasting and eggnog a'flowing!"

"Snow?" Jon echoed, his voice reverting to that of a six-year-old.

Benny nodded happily, watching the anthropologist's resolve crumble.  "Yep. You know, with sleigh bells a'jingling, icicles a'glistening, silver bells a'ring-a-ding-a-ling-ing, carollers a'—"

"All right, all right!" Jon said, holding up his hands to fend off the onslaught of Benedek's enthusiasm.

Benny widened his eyes and cocked his head to the side.  "So, you're going?"

Jon's eyes closed, knowing he was about to do something he was definitely going to regret.

"Yes?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"What was that?"

The blue eyes popped open.  "Yes!  I said yes!" he cried, his hands flying up in a gesture of frustrated defeat.  "Heaven only knows why, but I said yes."  He ignored the insufferably smug on the journalist's face and demanded, "And you know for certain Dana is going to be there?"

"If Mulder says she'll be there, she'll be there, Jack."

Jon sighed heavily, his expression turning decidedly morose.  "But Dr. Moorhouse…"

"Don't whine, Johnny, I'm sure she'll get over it," Benny assured, adding under his breath, "in a couple of years."

" _That's_ what I'm afraid of!"

Benny reach out and slapped MacKenzies' arm.  "Buck up, John-Boy, we're gonna have a _great_ time this year.  You've never seen the big guy in his element."

"I suppose the elves are going to be there?"

"Of course," Benny said, a lecherous gleam filling his eyes.  "Geldafesh," he sighed.

"What?"

"Geldafesh," Benny repeated, then his expression lit up with realization.  "Aw, but you were already dancing with the reindeer last year when I met her.  I'll have to introduce you."

Jon shook his head, trying very hard to forget the entire incident.  "Her?"

"One of the elves, Johnny.  Three foot two, eyes of violet, and," he held his cupped hands up in front of his chest, "the most beautiful set of ba—"

"Never mind!" Jon snapped, sinking back to sit on the top of his desk, shaking his head gloomily.

Benny grinned and wagged his eyebrows.  "You don't know what you're missing, Doc."

Jon met Benedek's happy gaze.  "And Dana's going to be there?"

"Yes.  I told you.  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  The lady Fed is comin' to the party."  He stepped up to the desk and sat down next to MacKenzies.  "So, whatdaya think we ought to take to the party?  A little rum?  Maybe a rum cake?  Some sugar plums in sherry?  The reindeer love those."

Jon sighed.  How did he let Benedek talk him into things like this?


End file.
